Word to the Wise
Tuesday, September 25, 2007 - Twenty-fifth Tuesday in Ordinary Time
[ezra 6:7-8, 12B, 14-20 and Luke 8:19-21]My mother and my brothers are those who hear the word of God and act on it.
The fundamental social unit of Middle Eastern society is the tribe/clan/family complex. That's where one's loyalties MUST lie. Perhaps the roots go back to nomadic desert living where one could not survive outside the group. In any case, it would be close to suicidal to be without family/clan/tribe. Yet Jesus is saying there's a relationshp even more important than that - the relationship with him that comes from hearing the word of God and acting on it. That is more important than even blood kinship with Jesus! One can imagine that Jesus' remarks raised eyebrows if not blood pressures. This is sensitive stuff! But discipleship is serious stuff, too! We Americans who view religious affiliation as some kind of voluntary club one joins or leaves at will might find Jesus' demands hard to take as well. Religious commitment is not in the same box with family kinship. Well, Jesus invites us to think about that. AMEN